April 24, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Third-ranked USC played host to its own party while winning the 2008 Pac-10 Women's Golf Championship at the Palos Verdes Golf Club and along with the conference crown five pivotal points toward reclaiming the Lexus Gauntlet. The Trojans now lead UCLA 52.5 to 37.5 and need to win only one of four remaining Lexus Gauntlet events to secure the coveted all-sports rivalry trophy.

In winning their first Pac-10 golf crown since 1989, the Women of Troy finished with a 54-hole total of 860. Top-ranked UCLA came in second place 26 strokes behind USC at 886. It marks the first time since the Lexus Gauntlet competition began in 2001-02 that the Trojans have claimed points in women's golf.

While defending Lexus Gauntlet champion UCLA is still mathematically in contention to win the perpetual trophy presented by the Southern California Lexus Dealers, the Bruins now must complete a sweep of the 20 remaining points in four events. There are five points still to be determined in each of the following sports: men's golf, women's rowing and men's and women's track and field. To win the Lexus Gauntlet outright, 57.5 points are needed to clinch.

Making the upward climb all the more challenging for UCLA is the fact that USC has never lost a dual race in women's rowing in the storied cross-town rivalry with Lexus Gauntlet points at stake. The Bruins have been traditional favorites in golf and track and field. That said, the battle for college sports supremacy in Los Angeles will be won on the field of competition and certainly not by speculation over past results.

USC and UCLA may face one another in women's water polo this weekend at the MPSF postseason tournament. The Bruins have won the previous two meetings this season meaning even if USC were to beat UCLA in tournament play no Gauntlet points would be awarded. Same for UCLA, even with another potential win over USC there would be no additional points earned. The Lexus Gauntlet competition closes out next week, first with the Pac-10 Men's Golf Championship (April 28-30) followed by women's rowing (May 2) and the annual dual men's and women's track and field meet (May 2-3) at Drake Stadium.

In the first six years of the competition, UCLA and USC have alternated winning the Lexus Gauntlet trophy. The Bruins captured the rivalry's crown jewel in 2003, again in 2005 and in 2007. The Trojans won the challenge in 2002, 2004 and 2006. The Lexus Gauntlet is on display at the UCLA Hall of Fame.

The Southern California Lexus Dealers are proud to be the leading sponsors of both UCLA and USC athletic departments as well as the exclusive title sponsor of every USC-UCLA athletic competition. For more than 80 years, these champion rivals have competed for the ultimate city-wide title of number one. Now, based on the practice of knights who challenged each other to duel by throwing their armored gauntlets to the ground, Lexus has issued the absolute challenge: the Lexus Gauntlet competition.